Category: AHL

17Dec

Leland Irving(37) Calgary Flames

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After 4 years in Calgary Flames‘ system, 2006 1st round pick (#26 overall) goaltender Leland Irving(37) got the call-up and played probably as well as you can in his debut 3-2 shootout loss. He backstopped 39 of 41 shots in regulation posting a 1.85 GA and .951 SV%.

He has always been pretty steady between the pipes in 143 AHL appearances with their affiliate Abbotsford Heat. Last season he played in 61 games for the team. In 23 games this season he’s already posted a pretty handy 15 wins, 7 losses record.

In the offseason he only signed for one more year with the Flames after his 3-year entry level contract expired.

He wears the same number 37 in both leagues.

17Dec

Matt Taormina(20) New Jersey Devils

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3rd year defenseman Matt Taormina(20) was originally signed to an AHL contract with Lowell Devils in 2009/2010 and showed his scoring spark in his rookie season with 10 goals and 40 assists in 75 games.

He earned his first NHL contract last season with New Jersey appearing in 17 games (3 goals, 2 assists) before succumbing to an ankle injury that derailed his campaign.

To start 2011/2012, he was assigned to their AHL affiliate Albany Devils. In 23 games, he put up 4 goals and 8 assists and was recalled by New Jersey when they lost a defenseman to the ir. In 3 games he’s put up an assist and looks to be regaining the form that earned him his contract.

 

17Dec

Scott Howes(13) Bridgeport Sound Tigers

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4th year undrafted forward Scott Howes(13) burst onto the scoring sheet when he joined Bridgeport Sound Tigers on a pto scoring 4 goals in his first 5 games with the team.

In 9 games he has 6 goals and 2 assists and may have found himself a home in the AHL for the season if he continues along at this pace.

Previously his only other call-up was with Manitoba Moose in the 2008/2009 season. A stint that netted him zero points in 5 games.

Last season in the ECHL, where he has spent most of his pro career, with Alaska Aces he was voted the playoffs MVP with 7 goals and 12 assists in 12 straight wins to help the team capture the Kelly Cup. He also tore it up offensively in the regular season with 22 goals and 36 assists in 59 games.

9/12 – 12: Seemingly out of nowhere, the now 25-year old signs a one-year deal with Central Hockey League‘s Allen Americans. Our guess is he’d be an easy call-up to skate with Texas Stars if needed.

16Dec

Cody Almond(12) Minnesota Wild

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3rd year, Minnesota Wild 2007 3rd round pick (#140 overall) center Cody Almond(12) is in the final year of his entry level contract and has played 22 NHL games on call-up from their AHL affiliate Houston Aeros over the last few seasons.

He’s found himself a nice spot on the Wild. Since his recall in the beginning of December, he’s appeared in 7 games scoring 1 goal while playing an average of 12 minutes a game.

It helps that Mike Yeo, his coach with the Wild is the same guy who coached him to the Calder Cup Finals with Houston last year.

Almond has put up 2 goals and 5 assists in 10 games with the Aeros this season but due to some glitch, since his recall his name or stats are nowhere to be found on the team’s site.

12/19: After 8 games with the Wild, Almond is reassigned to Houston.

16Dec

Drayson Bowman(27) Carolina Hurricanes

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3rd year Carolina Hurricanes‘ prospect, wing Drayson Bowman(27) doubled his NHL career goal scoring numbers and games played in the 2011/2012 season in one night on his most recent call-up from the AHL Charlotte Checkers.

He now has 4 goals and 1 assist in 36 games played.  In 23 games with the impressive Checkers he’s a +6 with 8 goals and 6 assists in 23 games.

He’s in the last year of his entry level draft contract. He’ll likely sign an extension, as he’s a good fit in the Hurricanes‘ style of game.

 

 

16Dec

Calvin de Haan (12)

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New York Islanders‘ 2009 1st round pick (#12 overall) rookie defenseman Calvin de Haan(12) received his first call-up from their AHL affiliate Bridgeport Sound Tigers, where he was assigned at the beginning of the season.

In 22 AHL games he scored 2 goals and 6 assists.

He played a total of 13:01 ice time in his first game, had a couple of shots on net and went a +1 plus/minus in the team’s 3-2 loss vs. Dallas Stars.

12/16: de Haan is reassigned to Bridgeport.

15Dec

Dane Byers(34) Columbus Blue Jackets

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6th year wing Dane Byers(34) received his first call-up to his new team Columbus Blue Jackets and played in his first  NHL game in a couple of seasons.

He was originally a 2nd round pick in the 2004 draft (#48 overall) by New York Rangers. He played over 250 games in their system with their AHL affiliate, Hartford Wolf Pack and appeared in 6 games of two seasons with the Blueshirts scoring one goal.

Last season was an interesting one for him as he was involved in three minor league deals that had him go first to  Springfield Falcons, then San Antonio Rampage to finish the year.

In the offseason, the Blue Jackets signed the unrestricted free agent to a one-year, tw0-way contract. He is the current team captain for Springfield and shows great leadership on the ice.

14Dec

Paul Szczechura (38)

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5th year, undrafted center Paul Szczechura(33) is making a strong argument for himself to stay with Buffalo Sabres in the NHL for the remainder of the season.

He was signed by the team before the start of the 2011/2012 season to a one-year, two-way deal and has already been recalled from Rochester Americans three times.

In 5 games, he’s already notched one goal and had three helpers.

He spent most of the last four years in the Tampa Bay Lightning system playing 83 games (9 goals, 7 assists), but failed to get called-up last season, even though he had his most productive year with AHL affiliate Norfolk Admirals (79 games, 22 goals and 30 assists).

Not exactly the biggest guy out there (5’11” 190 lbs.) he’s accountable every shift on the ice.

He easily has one of the hardest looking names in all of pro hockey to pronounce, but it’s actually pretty easy: Shea-hura.

14Dec

Zach Hamill(9) Boston Bruins

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In his fourth and final year of his entry level contract, Boston Bruins‘ 1st round pick in the 2007 draft (#8 overall) center/left wing Zach Hamill(9) is finding his game and answering the call.

In 3 NHL games this season he’s had two rather nice assists. In 7 games over three seasons, he has yet to light the lamp but give him some more games this year and that’s almost a sure thing to happen.

I have the theory that at this point the team is just trying to showcase him as much as possible and he will be used as trade bait. It’s doubtful the Bruins‘ organization will hold onto him for a fifth season.

 

13Dec

Pierre Dagenais(26) Akwesasne Warriors

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14-year veteran wing Pierre Dagenais(26) has spent the last couple of seasons playing in the single A level Federal Hockey League with Akwesasne Warriors and even won the Commissioner’s Cup with the team, as the league’s best.

He’s the leading scoring so far this season with 28 goals and 20 assists in 17 games and a crazy +21 plus/minus.

He’s almost strictly a one-way player for the team and seemingly moves with incredible finesse at half speed out there and never takes the body against the opposing team’s player.

In 142 NHL games most notably with Montreal Canadiens, he put up 35 goals and 23 assists.

New Jersey Devils actually drafted him twice, once in 1996 (2nd round #47 overall) and again in 1998 (4th round #105 overall) and played for four years in their system. He is currently 33 years old.